La Mer

Debussy's atmospheric musical painting of the sea in its varied moods, La Mer is the aural equivalent of the canvases of Impressionist artists, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin's characterful, driving performance with the Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal anchors this fine recording.

Also on the disc are Debussy's poetry-inspired, sensual Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun and Benjamin Britten's evocative Sea Interludes from his opera Peter Grimes, as filled with colour and drama as Debussy's La Mer. The least-known selection is Quebec composer Pierre Mercure's Kaléidoscope, a playful 1940s piece filled with jazzy syncopation and Impressionist colouring.

Available for $15.99 at HMV (333 Yonge and other locations, 416-586-9668).